Dr. Claire Brown (Antonia Thomas) has been on the show since the very first episode. Unfortunately, her character departed from the series in Season 4 Episode 20, “Vamos,” after performing a life-saving surgery and being offered a very prestigious and well-paying position at a Guatemalan hospital. Before she leaves, Shaun hugs her for the very first — and perhaps, final — time in the history of their friendship.
Based on this Reddit thread, many fans agree that Shaun’s relationship with Claire is one of the closest and most wholesome on the entire show. The original poster, u/Milianviolet, starts off their thread with a bold statement: “I don’t care what anyone says, Claire is absolutely Shaun’s bestest friend.” They then back up this theory by pointing out that the second Shaun got engaged to Lea, his first thought was “I have to tell Claire!” Other commenters agreed, including u/Chloe_Vee7, who insisted that “[In my opinion] the show will never be the same!!!” due to Claire’s departure. Although not everyone in that thread is a fan of Claire, it’s clear that her dynamic with Shaun on the show will be missed by most fans.